OUT OF THE FRYING PAN - Michelle Griep - One Free Book

Welcome back, Michelle. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?

Forgiveness and compassion are two of my favorite themes, probably because those are my favorite attributes of Jesus.

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

The Captive Heart comes out in October, but you can pre-order now at Amazon. Here’s a short blurb:

Governess ELEANOR MORGAN flees to America, but the family she’s to serve never arrives to collect her. She must settle for what’s left—an offer of marriage. Backwoodsman SAMUEL HEATH is a survivor. He will find a mother for his young daughter. The trouble is who would marry a murderer?

If you could spend an evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would it be and why?

Wow. Tough question. There are so many! I’m going to go with Ann Voskamp, the author of One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are. Her outlook on things, her perspective of grace, continually blows me away.

What historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why?

Charlotte Bronte. Yes, another author, and my all-time favorite. How much of Jane Eyre is in her? That’s what I’d want to discuss.

How can you encourage authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers?

Keep writing, whether you think you’ll get published or not. It’s always God’s timing, not yours.

Tell us about the featured book.

Out of the Frying Pan is a zany romantic mystery with a few older main characters. The American population is aging, so why not include a few seniors? Here’s a blurb:

Murder in Paradise whips life into a froth for FERN and ZULA HOPKINS. When the retirement center’s chef is found dead, the two ladies get folded in with the case. Their zany attempts to track down the killer land them in hot water with Detective JARED FLYNN. Should he be concerned about their safety—or the criminal’s?

But there are deadly ingredients none of them expect. Drugs. Extortion. International cartels. And worst of all…broken hearts, especially when the Hopkins sisters’ niece KC arrives on the scene.

Life at Sunset Paradise Retirement Village will never be the same.

Please give us the first page of the book.

It always surprised Zula Hopkins when her eyelids opened to another day. She should be dead by now. She’d outlived four presidents, a beloved husband, and even her son. But she hadn’t outlasted Fern. Fern had her beat by two years.

Probably for spite.

She rubbed away the negativity along with the sleep from her lashes. Pre-dawn light filtered through the open bedroom blinds, and she blinked. Would it be cool enough to wear her leopard print cardigan today or…wait a minute. What day was it, anyway? Flipping through the pages on her mental calendar, she landed on Tuesday, end of May.

End of May?

           

She flung the iris-print comforter off her body with such force, Fifi rolled to the floor and yelped. Poor old girl. Hopefully the little dog hadn’t broken a bone—no time for a vet visit on the day after Memorial Weekend.

           

“Mama’s sorry, baby, but today’s special.” Humming her own rendition of “Born Free,” she snatched her robe and crossed the room at a good clip. Fifi followed, bumping and re-bumping against her lower calves like a crazed ball-bearing in a pinball game. Evidently, the poor little dear forgave her for the rude awakening.

           

The bedroom door rubbed against the frame as she yanked it open, creaking worse than an arthritic joint. Hmm…it’d be a humid one today, then.

           

Pausing, she shifted her gaze from Fern’s closed door to the bathroom, then back. What to do first—begin her morning routine or awaken her roommate?

           

Expedience mattered, though she’d never tell her sister-in-law. Fern would for sure put a damper on her plans to hop the senior shuttle into Ocala. The day after Memorial Day was historically the best opportunity to browse the discarded silk and plastic flowers that didn’t sell for the holiday. Her heart raced just thinking of the booty in the dumpster behind Flowerama Gifts. No, she couldn’t tell Fern.

           

But she would not be late and miss that shuttle, either.

           

“Oh, Fern,” she crooned.

Even with the shades drawn, the barren beige walls of her sister-in-law’s bedroom glared at her. She clamped her lips against the decorating advice bubbling up in her mouth like an Alka Seltzer gone bad. A simple pair of floral-print valances would add so much color. She could whip up this monochrome bear’s den into a swirling vortex of color in no time at all, if only Fern would let her.

Which she wouldn’t.

           

No matter. She’d soon be up to her elbows in plastic gardenias and silk fuchsias. Her lips unfurled into song. “Are you sleeping? Are you sleeping, sister Fern? Sister Fern? Morning bells are ringing—” she ducked a pillow projectile and whirled for the window “—Morning bells are ringing. Ding, ding, dong—”

           

The second pillow nailed her in the behind, and she let loose the shade she’d been opening to flip-flap a slap dance on the roller. “I declare, Fern, you’re getting as mean as Irma Benton. Now, let’s uncover our sunny dispositions and greet the day, shall we?”

           

Her sister-in-law grasped the blanket’s satin edging and plastered it over her head. No matter how hard Zula yanked, the earth-toned covering refused to budge from Fern’s skinny form.

Muffled words rumbled from beneath the barrier. “The sun’s not even up yet, so why should I be?”

           

Zula straightened, weighing her options. Fight or flight? At least if she flew to the bathroom, she could begin her beauty regimen. Careful to sidestep Fifi, she retreated and finished her serenade, “—Ding, ding, dong.”   

           

She scooted out the door to the whap! of Fern’s last pillow smacking the oak veneer.

Sounds like a fun read, as well as a  cozy mystery. How can readers find you on the Internet?

If you’d like to keep up with Michelle’s escapades, find her at www.michellegriep.com or www.writerofftheleash.blogspot.com or stalk her on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

Thank you, Michelle, for sharing this book with us.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.

Out of the Frying Pan - A cozy little romance ... with murder on the side. - paperback
Out of the Frying Pan - A cozy little romance ... with murder on the side. - Kindle

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com